Method or art of making insulated wire



W. E. COOK.

METHOD 0H ART OF MAKING INSULATED WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24.1917- 1,4 1 5 1 54;, Patented May 9, 1922.

V INVENTOI? p i I %momvez ST ES rare FFICE.

L AM E, COOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PEERLESS INSULATED .PORATION OF DELAWARE.

WIRE AND CABLE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COB,-

METHOD OR ART OF MAKING INSULATED WIRE.

Application filed April 24,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM E. Coon,

' a subject of the King of the United Kingv drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to a method or art of making insulated wire and more particularly to improvements in producing wire having an insulation consisting of an absorbent body saturated or impregnated with asphaltum or other composition for waterproofing, and increasing the resistance of the coating material.

In a co-pendin application of mine, Serial No. 164,302,I have described a method or art which consists in spirally wrapping a cotton sliver about a wire coated with adhesive, and confining the sliver, in compressed condition, upon the wire by .wrapping binding threads or cords about the compacted sliver prior to the saturation or impregnation of the sliver and the binding material, with an asphaltum or other composition. In this method or art, the binding threads or cords are wrapped about the sliver in a spiral, the pitch of which is coincident with that at which the sliver is wrapped about the -wire. While I have found that a wire constructed in this manner is highly satisfactory, nevertheless there is a possibility that as the result of the exhaustion of the adhesive bond between the sliver and the wire, or throughout the sliver,

the sliver might unwind, and the binding threads or cords, being wound spirally about it at the same pitch, wouldnecessarlly unwind with it.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9,1922. 1917. Serial No. 164,305. I

ta-neously unwound, but. to minimize any tendency of the sliver to begin to unwind while the wire is being handled during its installation.

By the method or art of my present inventlon, the covering braid for the wire is entirely dispensed with, and the covered wire 1s produced by a substantially simultaneous, or continuous operation.

The invention consists primarily in the herein described method or art of making insulated wire consisting in winding a cotton sliver spirally about a conductor wire with the ed es thereof overlapping, compacting said sliver upon the wire, spirally winding a strand of flexible absorbent material about and embedding successive convolutions thereof within said sliver while it is compacted, said strand being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said with a viscous composition whereby the insulating property is increased, the completed wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and said strand are bonded together; and in such other novel steps and practices as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing the manner of applying the cotton sliver and the binding to a conductor wire;

an a

Fig. 2 illustrates an apparatus used in the step of saturating or impregnating the covering for the wire with asphaltuin or other viscous composition.

Like letters refer to views.

In the practice of the method or art of my invention, a continuous strand of aconductor wire a is passed through a bath of adhesive material indicated at b and has imparted thereto continuous traverse at a substantially uniform speed, being passed over the rollers a toga rewinding reel (not shown). During thi's traverse a continuous strip of cotton sliver d is spirally wound about the conductor wire a, the edges of succeeding convolutions forming a lap joint so as to secure continuity of thiscover and substantially the same thickness thereof 'like parts in both throughout. This sliver is applied by means of a rotating platform e adapted to carry a container 7' for the sliver, the wire a paming vertically through this platform, axially thereof. After the application of the sliver to the wire, the wire with the sliver thereon passes through a compressing horn 9 having rotary movement with the platform 6. Thereafter the wire and the partially compacted covering, therefor passes from the 10m to a second horn II which still further compacts said sliver. Immediately after the wire and its covering passes from the horn h, it passes through a rotating frame 2' having mounted therein one or more spools containing a flexible strand j of absorbent material such as cotton thread, or cord which is continuously rotated as to wind said thread, or cord spirally about the cotton sliver. This thread, or cord is subjected to tensioning stresses in any desired manner, so as to cause it to tightly embrace the cotton sliver and be firmly imbedded therein.

By applying the confining thread or cord immediately following the final compression of the cotton sliver. the desired density of this covering material is secured.

Preferably a plurality of independent parallel strands are used. to permit the use of a fairly wide sliver confined at a number of difierentpoints by the thread or cord.

In order to cause the strand of thread or cord to be wound spirally upon the compressed or compacted sliver. the frame 1' is rotated in a direction opposite to that in which the platform 0 is rotated. and at the same speed so as to have the'pitch of thi thread or cord. the same as that of the sliver. In this manner the number of convolutions of the thread or cord will be the same as those of the sliver. and with each convolution of said thread or cord it will cross the lap between succeeding convolutions of the said sliver.

After the cotton sliver has been applied to the wire, and confined in position by the spirally wound strand. or strands of thread or cord, the wire with its covering is passed through a tank-7r containing a mass of viscous. insulating. adhesive and waterproof material, such as the asphaltum composition ordinarily used in making insulating wires. The wire after the setting of this composition is waxed and passed through polishing and finishing irons giving the desired, and final, finish thereto.

By reason of the application of adhesive to the wire before wrapping the sliver spirally thereupon, this sliver will be firmly bonded to the wire so as to resist displacement by the compression horns even though these horns do not have rotary movement.

\Vhile the covered wire is in the asphaltum or other similar bath, the cotton sliver. will readily absorb this composition by reason of the fact that substantial areas of the cotton sliver project between the strands of thread or cord, which as heretofore, stated. are imbedded well within the sliver the portions of the sliver between said strands forming ducts through which the composition may readily flow to the bottom of the sliver.

The compression of the sliver will mat the fibers thereof. the thread or cord preventing expansion after compression. and the application of the asphaltum or other composition causes the fibers to firmly adhere or set. and at the same time firmly bonds the thread or cord to the sliver.

In the finished product the binding threads or cords will not be perceptible as the cotton sliver will ordinarily lap thereover in a manner to completely conceal same.

Preferably. to permit the operation of the machine used at high speed. I employ a cotton sliver having imbedded therein and bonded thereto. a continuous cotton thread or cord which will serve to supplement the action of the binding threads or cords applied to the exterior of'the sliver, in holding the sliver in its compacted condition upon the wire.

In this manner I am enabled by a substantially simultaneous. or continuous operation. to apply both the cotton sliver and the binding thread or cord to the wire thereby. gainingthe advantage over the present methods of avoiding the necessity for passing the vire successively through a machine for I wrapping the sliver about the wire. and a machine for applying the cover thereto.

Having described the invention.,what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is 1.- The herein described method or artof i making insulated wire consisting in winding a cotton SllVQr spirally about a conductor wire with the edges thereof overlapping.

compacting said sliver upon the wire. wind- I ing a strand of flexible. absorbent material about and embedding succes ive convolutions thereof within said sliver while itis compacted. said strand being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said sliver I is wound. the convolutions of said strand being' spaced apart to form ducts therebetween to facilitate the penetration of a vis- COIlS'IOIDPOSltlOII throughout the body of said sliver and thereafter saturating or im- :2. The herein described method or art of I making insulated wire consisting in winding a cotton spirally about a conductor wire with the edges thereof overlapping. compacting said sliver upon the wire, winding a strand 1 of flexible, absorbent material spirally about and embedding successive convolutions thereof within said sliver while it is compacted, said strand being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said sliver is wound. and at the same pitch at which said sliver is wound, the convolutions of said strand being spaced apart to form duct-s therebetween to facilitate the penetration of a viscous composition throughout the body of said sliver and thereafter saturating or impregnating said sliver and said strand with a viscous composition whereby the insulating property is increased, the completed wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and said strand are bonded together.

3. The herein described method or art of making insulated wire consisting in winding a cotton sliver spirally about a conductor wire with the edges thereof over-lapping,- compacting said sliver upon the wire, winding a strand of flexible, absorbent material spirally about said sliver while it is com pacted, said strand being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said sliver is wound and at the same pitch at which said sliver is wound, the convolutions of said strands being spaced apart to form ducts therebetween to facilitate the penetration of a viscous composition throughout thebody of said sliver, said strand being t'ensioned while being wound to imbed it in said sliver, and thereafter saturating or impregnating said sliver and said strand with a viscous composition whereby the insulating prop erty is increased, the completed wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and said strand are bonded together.

4. The herein described method or art of making insulated wire consisting in winding a cotton sliver spirally about a conductor wire with the edges thereof overlapping, compacting said sliver upon the wire, windinga plurality of strands of flexible, absorbent material about and embedding successive convolutions thereof within said sliver while it is compacted. said strands being laid in parallel lines and being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said sliver is wound, the convolut-ions of said strands being spaced apart to form ducts therebetween to facilitate the penetration of a viscous composition throughout the body of said sliver, and thereafter saturating or impregnating'said'sliver and said strands with a viscous composition whereby the insulating property is increased, the completed wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and said strands are bonded together.

5. The herein described method or art of making insulated wire consisting in winding a cottonfsliver spirally about a conductor wire with the edges thereof overlapping,

compacting said sliver upon the wire, wind-- ing a plurality of strands of flexible, absorbent material spirally about said sliver while it is compacted, said strands being laid in parallel lines and being wound in a direction the reverse of that in which said sliver is wound, the convolutions of said strand being spaced apart to form ducts therebetween to facilitate the penetration of a viscous composition throughout the body of said sliver, said strands being tensioned while being wound to imbed them in said sliver, and thereafter saturating or impregnating said sliver and said strands with a viscous composition whereby the insulating property is increased, the completed wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and said strands are bonded together.

In witness whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of r ril, 1917.

' WILLIAiI E. COOK.

Witnesses:

BEBTHA MUELLER, Cmmon Fmnox. 

